Sacrament
of Confirmation
Confirmation is
the sacrament by which Catholics receive a special outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. Through Confirmation, the Holy Spirit gives them the increased ability
to practice their Catholic faith in every aspect of
their lives and to witness Christ in every situation.
their lives and to witness Christ in every situation.
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism confirmation is seen as the
sealing of Christianity created in baptism. Due to its importance extensive
preparations are made in every parish for administering the sacrament of
Confirmation. We know that it is great celebration and the person who
administers is the Bishop. Hence we make extensive preparation to welcome the
Bishop to the parish. The sisters, the parish priest and church leaders will
put all effort to organize a flawless ceremony. Children are trained well for
their response. They even memorize the responses in serial order.
An
archbishop was once due to lead a service of Confirmation in a certain school.
The parish priest had gone to great lengths to teach the children the various
prayers.
The Bishop would start,
“The Lord be with you”
Children knew that they
should respond, “And with Thy Spirit”
Came the great day and the service commenced. Everything
went smoothly till the moment the archbishop was due to say: “The Lord be with
you.” At that moment the microphone began to give trouble. The archbishop
declared in an aside, loud enough to be heard throughout the congregation:
“There
is something wrong with this blessed mic.”
Children
immediately responded, “And with thy spirit.”
The most important scripture
for the understanding of the sacrament of confirmation is the narrative about
Jesus own baptism and anointing by the Spirit, as well as the Church’s
anointing with the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2).
The roots of confirmation are found in
the New
Testament. In
the Gospel
of John 14,
Christ speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles (John 14:15–26). Later, after his Resurrection, Jesus breathed upon them and they received the Holy Spirit
(John 20:22), a process completed on the day
of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). That Pentecostal outpouring of
the Spirit was the sign of the
messianic age foretold
by the prophets (cf. Ezek 36:25-27; Joel 3:1-2). Its arrival was proclaimed
by Apostle
Peter. Filled
with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim "the mighty works of
God" (Acts 2:11; Cf. 2:17-18). After this point, the New Testament records the apostles bestowing the Holy Spirit upon
others through the laying on of hands.
There is a joke about laying on of hands and praying.
Once
the priest noticed a young man with a sad face.
What’s
wrong, son?” asked the priest.
“I need you to pray for me hearing,” said the young man.
The priest put his hands on his ears and prayed. When he was done, he asked, “So how’s your hearing?”
“I don’t know,” He said. “It isn’t until next Tuesday.”
“I need you to pray for me hearing,” said the young man.
The priest put his hands on his ears and prayed. When he was done, he asked, “So how’s your hearing?”
“I don’t know,” He said. “It isn’t until next Tuesday.”
Three texts make it certain that a
laying on of hands for the imparting of the Spirit – performed after the water-bath and as a complement to this
bath – existed already in the earliest apostolic times. These texts are: Acts
8:4-20 and 19:1-7, and Hebrews 6:1-6. In the Acts of the Apostles 8:14–17 different
"ministers" are named for the two actions. It is not deacon Philip, the baptiser, but only the apostles who were able to impart the
Spirit through the laying on of hands.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive
the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they
received the Holy Spirit.
Further on
in the text, connection between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gesture of
laying on of hands appears even more clearly. Acts 8:18-19 introduces the
request of Simon
the magician in
the following way: "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the
laying on of the apostles' hands ...." In Acts 19, baptism of the
disciples is mentioned in quite general terms, without the minister being
identified. If we refer to 1 Cor 1:17 we may presume that Paul left the action
of baptising to others. But then Acts 19:6
expressly states that it was Apostle Paul who laid his hands upon the newly baptised. Hebrews 6:1-6 distinguishes "the teaching about
baptisms" from the teaching about "the laying on of hands". The
difference may be understood in the light of the two passages in Acts 8 and 19.[12]
The
catechism of the catholic church teaches that It is evident from its
celebration that the effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation is
the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted
to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.
Confirmation has 5 effects.
- It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as
children of God] which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!" (Rom 8:15);
- It unites us more firmly to Christ.
- It increases the gifts of the Holy
Spirit in us.
- It renders our bond with the church more perfect.
- It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to
spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of
Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of
the cross.
Firstly, It roots us more deeply in the divine filiation [as
children of God] which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!" (Rom 8:15);
There are 953 Names and Titles of
God, from Genesis to Revelation.
However, God’s title of
“Abba Father” is only found referenced in the Bible three separate times, in
the passages of Romans 8:15, Mark 14:36, and Galatians 4:6, which are all in
the New Testament. Only two speakers utter these words in these passages: Jesus
and the apostle Paul.
With Jesus Christ and the
apostle Paul having their obvious reasons for seeing God in an intimate manner
compared to others in the Bible, They viewed as Abba Father.
Each one of us is created
in God’s image, similar to how Jesus was fashioned to represent God on earth.
Making us as Himself was God’s plan from the beginning, as quoted from Genesis
(1:27): “So God created man in His own image; in the image
of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Knowing that we are made
in the same image as God, this establishes an unbreakable bond we share with
the Father and a solid form of intimacy that cannot be replicated with any
other “god” or human. He is with us when we need Him.
ON DECEMBER 7, 1988, AN EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATED THE NORTHWESTERN SECTION
OF ARMENIA, KILLING AN ESTIMATED 25,000 PEOPLE.
In one small town, just after the earthquake, a father rushed to his
son's school only to find that the school had been flattened. There was no sign
of life.
But he had no thought of turning back. He had often told his son,
"No matter what, I'll always be there for you when you need
me!"
Though his prospects appeared hopeless, the father began feverishly
removing rubble from where he believed his son's classroom had been. Other
forlorn parents only wailed hopelessly…"My son!" or "My
daughter!" Some told the father to go home, that there was no chance that
any of the children could be alive. Yet, he replied: "I made my son a
promise that I'd be there for him anytime he needed me. I must continue to
dig."
Courageously, he worked alone; no one volunteered to help him. He simply
had to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" Finding
strength and endurance beyond himself, the faithful, loving father continued to
dig...for 8 hours...12 ...24 ...36 hours. Then in the 38th hour, as he heaved
away a heavy piece of rubble, he heard voices. "Armand!" he
screamed.
A child's voice responded: "Dad! It's me...Armand!" Then,
"I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive,
you'd save me, and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised you would
always be there for me! You did it, Dad!"
Moments later, the dad was helping his son Armand and 13 more
frightened, hungry, and thirsty boys and girls climb out of the debris. Free at
last! When the building collapsed, these children had been spared in a
tent-like pocket.
When the townspeople praised Armand's dad, his explanation was, "I
promised my son, 'No matter what, I'll be there for you!'"
God is always
with us like a loving father when we need him. There is no better father than
Creator God. He formed us and knows us. He provides for us, loves us
unconditionally, and longs for real, life-giving relationship with us. He runs
out to meet us in our sin, clothes us with new identity, and restores to us the
abundant life he has always planned for us.
Confirmation
enables us to call God with great intimacy. So also it places a great demand on
us to behave like Sons and daughters of that loving father.
Secondly,
It unites us more firmly to Christ.
When Queen Victoria reigned in England, she occasionally
would visit some of the humble cottages of her subjects.
One time she entered the home of a widow and stayed to enjoy
a brief period of Christian fellowship.
Later on, the poor woman was taunted by her worldly
neighbors. “Granny,” they said, “who’s the most honored guest you’ve ever
entertained in your home?” They expected her to say it was Jesus, for despite
their constant ridicule of her Christian witness, they recognized her deep
spirituality.
But to their surprise she answered, “The most honored guest
I’ve entertained is Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Did you say the Queen? Ah, we caught you this time! How
about this Jesus you’re always talking about? Isn’t He your most honored
guest?”
Her answer was definite and scriptural, “NO, indeed! He’s
not a guest. HE LIVES HERE!”
Confirmation
is a sacrament which confirms that the individual has learned what he should
know about his faith and blesses him with anointing of oils and the laying on
of hands. A light touching on the cheek by the bishop is to serve as a reminder
that we may have to fight for our faith in meeting opposition to it. It is
based on the Pentecostal event in which the Holy Spirit came down and touched
the apostles, to equip them with the knowledge needed to go forth and spread
God’s message. It transformed the apostles who were confined to closed rooms to
be bold men who could proclaim aloud their relation with Jesus. Confirmation
enables us too to defend the tenets of our faith.
There was a lady who had to do a lot
of travelling for her business. So she had to fly often. She always too her
Bible along with her to read and it helped to relax. Once she was sitting next
to a man. When he saw her reading the Bible, he turned to her and asked, “You
don’t really believe all that stuff in there, do you?”
The lady replied, “of course I do.”
He said, “Well, what about the guy
that was swallowed by the whale?”
She replied, “Oh, Jonah. Yes I
believe that.”
He asked, “Well how do you suppose
he survived all that time inside the whale?”
The lady said, “Well, I don’t really
know. I guess when I get to heaven I will ask him.”
“What if he isn’t in heaven?” the
man asked sarcastically.
“In that case, you can ask him.”
Replied the lady.
She was
bold enough to acknowledge that she was a Christian. If there is anything that
is holding us back from proclaiming that we are the followers of Jesus the
spirit of confirmation will give us courage to overcome it. Peter denied Jesus
three times. But on the day of Pentecost he stood boldly in front of the Jewish
leaders and proclaimed Jesus as the Savior. The Spirit gave him Strength and
courage. We have received the same Spirit in Confirmation.
Thirdly, it
increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, knowledge, right judgment,
understanding, courage, piety, and fear of the Lord.
When Pope John XXXIII went to visit
a friend at the nearby Hospital of the Holy Spirit in the evening, the nun
answering the door said: "Holy Father, I'm the mother superior of the Holy
Spirit." He replied: "Lucky you! What a job! I'm just the 'servant of
the servants of God.'"
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the
Spirit of the Lord would rest on the awaited Messiah and on the entire
messianic people. The whole life and mission of Jesus were carried out in total
communion with the Holy Spirit. The apostles received the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost and proclaimed “the great works of God” (Acts 2:11).
They gave the gift of the same Spirit to the newly baptized by the laying on of
hands. Down through the centuries, the Church has continued to live by the
Spirit and to impart him to her children.
Faithful people
have been receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation for almost 2,000 years. There
are even examples of it recorded in the Bible! In Acts 19, Paul the Apostle
lays his hands (just like the bishop does during Confirmation today) on a group
of believers and the Holy Spirit descends upon them. So, when you are
Confirmed, you are sharing in an ancient and rich tradition that millions of Catholics
have participated in throughout history
Acts 19:5-7 Disciples Paul met in Ephesus who had
received only the baptism of John. On hearing this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Fourthly, It renders our bond with the church more perfect.
A story is told of a young businessman
sharing a compartment on a train with an elderly gentleman. When he
noticed that the old fellow was quietly and intently praying with his rosary,
the young man chided him for his ‘superstition’ and told him that science had
rendered the beliefs of religion irrelevant.
“How did you come to discover that?” the
old gentleman asked.
His companion didn’t really know how to
answer the question fully right then and there, so he offered to send him a few
texts and public lecture notes on the subject for his enlightenment.
“What’s your address?’ he asked, “I’ll send you the material via the Post
Office.” The old man rummaged in his coat pocket and produced a tattered
business card that read, Louis Pasteur, Paris Institute of Scientific Research.
Louis Pasteur was the 19th century giant
of microbiology who proved the germ-theory of disease and invented the rabies
vaccine. His humility certainly didn’t hinder his greatness and his
commitment to science did not preclude his belief in God.
Many
families who may be less than proactive may tend to rely on strictly going to
Mass in hopes that their children will somehow absorb the faith – whether it be
from hearing the Scripture readings, the priest’s homily or receiving Christ
through the Eucharist. But if the parents themselves do not apply what they’ve
learned at Mass at home, their children will not benefit from them. In some
ways, I think this is one of the reasons why so many Catholic youth grow up
having a disdain for going to church. They view it as a form of punishment as
opposed to something to fall in love with.
Confirmation
provides the ability to take a greater, more mature role in the Church's
mission of living the Christian faith daily and witnessing to Christ
everywhere.
Two gentlemen boarded a coast-to-coast flight and were
seated next to each other on the commercial plane.
After breezing through the on-flight magazine, the first man
turned to the other and asked, what do you do? The gentleman replied: “I am a
pastor of a church.”
“Oh,” said the first man quickly. “I don’t believe in this
religious stuff. It’s for kids, you know, like the song ‘Jesus Loves Me This I
know, for the Bible tells me so….”
The
minister politely laughed and asked the other man what he did for a living.
“I
am an astronomer,” said the first man.
“Oh, that stuff,” said the minister. I thought it was just
for kids, you know – ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star….'”.
Lastly, It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to
spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to
confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the cross.
The essential rite of Confirmation is the anointing
with Sacred Chrism (oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by the bishop), which
is done by the laying on of the hand of the minister who pronounces the
sacramental words proper to the rite. In the West this anointing is done on the
forehead of the baptized with the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy
Spirit”. In the Eastern Churches of the Byzantine rite this anointing is also
done on other parts of the body with the words, “The seal of the gift of the
Holy Spirit”.
The
Sacrament of Confirmation in the early Church was known as the “Seal of the
Spirit.” Note the mention of the seal in the following passages.
2
Cor 1:21f A21 But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who
anointed us is God; 22 he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in
our hearts as a first installment.
Eph
1:13 A In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Eph
4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption.
Let
us make use of this retreat week to revive the commitment we made in our
Confirmation and allow the Spirit to make us its instruments.
Satish